Identifying means for ropes



y 1931- J. A. PALMER 1,807,131

IDENTIFYING MEANS FOR ROPES Filed April 5, 1927 Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. PALMER, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COLUMBIAN ROPE COMPANY, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK romrmyme mmns ron ROPES Application filed April 5,

This invention relates to an identification means for ropes and while it is more especially designed for use in rope formed of vegetable fiber, nevertheless, it is not desired to limit the invention to rope of this character, as it is highl adaptable for use for the marking or ident' cation of all ropes, twine, and other forms of cordage, as well as wire ropes, woven or braided tapes, bands and vam rious fabric materials.

The primary object of the invention is to produce an identification means which may be incorporated in a rope in various ways without its presence being lmown so far as being visible is concerned, such identifying means remaining invisible until the rope or a portion thereof is subjected to a predetermined treatment with which only the manufacturer is familiar. In this way, rope may be produced and placed upon the market, and

while the purchasing public will have no intimation that the rope is so marked as to allow of its identification by its producer, nevertheless, such rope will have incorporated therein means whereby it can be identified by the manufacturer if it should be returned to him with complaint as to its non-serviceability or for other reasons.

As is well known, the majority of fiber ropes are formed of component elements laid together in spiral lines, the vegetable fibers being formed into yarns twisted into strands and the strands in turn twisted to form hawser-laid rope which latter, if desired, may

be formed into cable-laid rope, and it is essential that these several elements be symmetrically and uniformly arranged in the rope so that each will be sodisposed with relation to each other that each will carry a part of the load equal to that carried by each of the other For this reason it is more or less elements. diflicult to include with said elements an extraneous element not designed to bear part of the load although it is highly desirable to introduce such an extraneous element because 1927. Serial No. 181,263.

it is important to provide some means whereby each and every part of the rope throughout its length may be identified as to its quality or as to its source of production. Attempts to provide identifying means in ropes have heretofore been made by making one or more of the yarns or elements of the rope of a certain color, or, as disclosed in Patent No. 1,274,401, such identifying means has taken the form of an exceedingly thin, flat, and pliant identifying tape incorporatedin the interior of the rope between the elements so as to be totally concealed and fully protected whereby its integrity will be maintained under any uses to which the rope may be put. In the present instance, however, the identifying means may be incorporated in a rope in any desired way, such as being incorporated in one of the yarns or strands or by being incorporated in an extraneous element such as the tape disclosed in the patent just mentioned.

Stated more specifically, the invention permits of incorporating in the rope either in one of the component elements or in an extraneous element, a substance which, when chemically treated, either with a chemical reagent, burning, or otherwise, will give a predetermined color reaction. In other words, the chemically treated rope will carry a substance known to the manufacturer so that if the rope is returned to him he may subject it to a predetermined chemical treatment whereupon there will be disclosed a predetermined color by means of which he can identify the rope as being of his production.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 shows a piece of rope embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows one method of treating the rope to effect a color change for the purpose of identifying it; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1,- illustrating the rope after such treatment.

Varlous substances, which will be termed indicators, may be incorporated in the rope for thus identifying it. Generally, there are two types of these indicators, organic indicators and inorganic chemical indicators. In the following table there is given only a few of those indicators which can be used for giving color reaction in acid, alkaline or neutral solutions. That is, if these indicators are used on one of the component elements of the rope or on an extraneous element incorporated in the rope they give their characteristic color by simply treating that element with diluted acids, alkalis .or other chemical compounds, or, ifdesired, an alcohol'or water extract of the element may be treated with an acid, alkaline or other chemical solution. In any event, certain distinct and ocular changes will be obtained, the resultant color depending upon the indicator used and the re-agentused.

Where the element itself is made the subject of the test said element will itself assume the predetermined color while if an alcohol or water extract is treated the extract will have imparted thereto the predetermined color. The following is a chart of some organic chemical compounds which may be used on the element in the rope together with the colors which will be imparted to the rope elements upon being treated either with acid or with an alkaline solution:

First type indicators-Organic chemical compounds Color with Compounds used on yarn Color with acid treatment altkaligie rea ment Phenolphthalein- I Absence of color..- Red. Fluorescein Absence of color Green Para-nitrophenol Absence of color Yellow Thymolphthalein Absence of color Blue. Tetrabromphenolphthalein. Absence of color Violet The foregoing compounds are invisible in the finished product until tested. Where, however, it is desired to originally impart a color to the element which will react to a predetermined color upon subsequent treatment, the'following organic compounds may be used with the noted results:

with the compounds or re-agents which may be used for testing purposes together with the color of precipitate obtained by the test treatments are set forth in the succeeding chart. However, it Will be understood that the rope elements for the purposes of furnishing identification means for the rope: Second type indicators-Inorganic Chemical re-agents Compounds used for Compounds or re- Color of precipi treating yarns agents for test tam figg Potassium iodide Mercuric nitrate Red. Ammomum sulphocyen- Ferric chloride. Blood red.

e. Pottassium sulphocyan- Ferric chloride Blood red.

a e. Potassium ferroc'yenide Ferric chloride Dark blue. Potassium ferricyanide- Ferrus sulphate Dark blue. Lead acetate Hydrogen sulphid Black. Ammonium molybdate... 'Sodium phosphate Yellow. Potassium molybdate Sodium phosphate Yellow. Lithium chloride Burn yarn in gas flame- Gives crimson colored flame.

It will be observed that in this second list of indicators there is included lithium chloride which may be used as an indicator. Where this indicator is used, however, the test treatment is made by burning a portion of the element containing the indicator, whereupon a flame of predetermined color is obtained. Likewise, other indicators which will give different colored flames may be used.

In actual practice the invention will be utilized by the manufacturer maintaining a record of the indicator used in rope furnished to each jobber or purchaser so that when rope is returned by a particular purchaser for any reason the manufacturer can immediately determine whether or not he furnished that particular rope to that purchaser by simply treating the returned rope with the necessary re-agent. One important advantage of the present invention is the fact that when the indicator is incorporated in the rope its presence will not be noted by anyone because of its invisibility, regardless whether it is carried in an element at the interior of the rope or in an element appearing at the exterior surface of the rope. In addition, the indicator as before mentioned, can be incorporated in one of the component elements of the rope or if the use of an extraneous element is deemed advisable such extraneous element may be of exceedingly minute cross-section, so as to have substantially no appreciable effect upon the proper symmetrical and uniform arrangement of the rope elements themselves. If an extraneous element is used it need be nothing more than a mere thread previously impregnated with the desired indicator and run into the rope during manufacture thereof so as to extend throughout the entire length of the same.

The preferred embodiment of the invention and one method of treating the rope, is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings. In Figure 1.

two of the yarns 11, 12, of the section of rope 10, contain, say thymolphthalein or lacmoid, which was incorporated ,therein during production of the rope. Fig. 2 illustrates the section of rope with its frayed end dipped in an alkaline solution 14 in a suitable container 13 whereby the yarns 11, 12 will be caused to assume the color of blue as indicated by the color indicating lines in Fig. 3. a

Wh1l6 the present invention is especially ada ted for rope marking and has been descri d solely in connection with rope, nevertheless, it is also applicable to markers for fabrics and textile of different characters, as above mentioned,

What I claim is:

1. An identifying means for fibrous material, including rope, fabrics or similar material, consisting of an element in said material having incorporated therein a substance having characteristics indicative of the origin of the material or rope, said substance being capable of manifesting its presence when subjected to chemical change.

2. A rope identifying means consisting of to render it visible when it is desired to determine the origin of the rope, said substance having characteristics indicative of the origin of the rope. i

8. The method of identifyin rope which consists in incorporating in sai rope during the-production thereof a substance substantially invisible in the rope during normal usage of the rope but susceptible of having been used or when it is desired to determine the origin of the rope, chemically eifecting a color change in said substance, a predetermined change in color being indicative of the origin of the rope.

J OHN A. PALMER.

an element having incorporated therein a I substance having characteristics indicative of the origin of the material or rope, said substance being capable of manifesting its presence when subjected to chemical change, the presence of said substance being visible only when subjected to said chemical change.

3. A new article of manufacture, consists ing of a rope having incorporated therein a substance whose presence is normally invisible and whose characteristics are indicative of the origin of the rope, said substance being capable of manifesting its presence when subjected to a chemical change.

4:. A new article of manufacture consisting of a rope having incorporated therein a substance capable of visibly manifesting its presence therein when subjected to a predetermined chemical change, said substance having characteristics indicative of the origin of the rope.

5. A rope marker consisting of an element embodied in said rope, said element having incorporated therein a chemical capable of impartirg to said element upon treatment with a predetermined re-agent a predetermined color indicative of the origln of the rope.

6. A rope identifying means consisting of an element embodied in the rope and carrying a chemical adapted to give a color reaction when treated with a chemical re-a ent, said color reaction being indicative o the origin of the rope.

7. The method of identifyin rope which consists in incorporating in sai rope during roduction thereof a substance capable 

